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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25477213">Trial of Essence</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indoor_Penguin/pseuds/Indoor_Penguin'>Indoor_Penguin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Legend of Zelda &amp; Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Implied Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Legend of Zelda References, Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda) Fluff, Talking Link (Legend of Zelda)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:21:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,353</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25477213</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Indoor_Penguin/pseuds/Indoor_Penguin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Link and Zelda are now held at knife point by the skull kid, being forced to endure his humiliating trials.</p><p>Title changed, due to a book on wattpad having a similar title. Previous: Trial of Life, changed to Trial of Essence.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Beginning</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Scars lingered upon Link as he deflected arrows off his sword; protecting the figure behind it, standing there with her beautiful golden locks. Many arrows bounce off his blade, swiftly landing in a heap on the luxurious grass. A shriek from behind causes Link to turn a quick 180 to knock his sword against the enemy's; countering its fatal blow. A yelp escapes Zelda's subtle lips as she ducks to dodge an arrow; her locks flowing up due to the precipitous movement. A rough note is spewed out from a horn, symbolizing the summoning of backup; Link's hand latches onto Zelda's velvety hand as hundreds of goblins advance from the Northern gate. Link's boots penetrate the ground as he sprints towards the Southern gate; his hand never leaving Zelda's own, grasping it tighter and tighter even if her's started to slip even the slightest. His left hand clutches tightly around the sword's handle as he reflects arrows from getting too close; the goblins soon figure out that they're able to throw their spears if they are near. </p><p> </p><p>"Link! They're gaining!" Zelda gasps out breathlessly as her fingers tighten around his, in fright.</p><p> </p><p>Link's eyes snap to glimpse behind them, catching sight of the army advancing closer towards their position; adding to the risk of threat upon Zelda, whom he's suppose to protect. </p><p> </p><p>"Shit!" Link's hand leaves Zelda's warm grasp as he pursuits through his adventure bag; searching for the object that calls his fellow stallion, to gain more ground of course. </p><p> </p><p>A look of disappointment develops across Zelda's face as Link's hand leaves her own, causing her to suddenly lose momentum. Zelda stumbles as her speed suddenly decreases causing her to trip over the gravel road, only able to catch her balance on Link. Zelda roughly pushes into Link as her feet search for friction to stop the incoming fall; Link being taller and well built only caused him to budge slightly when she used his as a support. Link glances down at Zelda then back to the horse call in his hand; he abruptly blows air  through the call signaling Epona to make her way to him. Zelda frighteningly glimpses behind her as goblins on pigs dash over Hyrule Field; only about fifty feet away from their location. A grasp envelops Link's hand as Zelda takes a running start away from the army advancing closer towards them. Of course, she had to trip to make Link stop to help her, so they lost ground due to her! How stupid of her to be so clumsy in situations like this. Link keeps up with her, swiftly planted by her right side; keeping a firm grip on her hand, careful not to lose sight of her.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>"C'mon! We're so close to the forest!" Zelda scorches a goblin in which it disappears into black smoke.</p><p> </p><p>A couple of goblins ride beside Epona, clearly out of stupidity. A strand of incoherent words escapes Link's lips as he struggles to knock back the goblins on the mount beside them.</p><p> </p><p>"Come on! Zelda, quickly reload your bow and eliminate the ones gaining on us!" Link yelps out as an arrow makes its way into his shoulder. </p><p> </p><p>A gasp slips from Zelda as she silently shivers; taking out the two riders on the pig mount, a bright light escapes the arrow as the monsters are burned alive. Link clutches the reins on Epona with a newfound determination to arrive at the forest; dark cherry blood trickles down Link's tunic as new stains begin to form. Zelda sets her bow as she shoots down an archer; Zelda reaches into her quiver, searching for any arrows her hand can grasp.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh c'mon! I've run out of arrows!" Zelda shrieks out, frustrated with herself for not retrieving more from the castle before they parted.</p><p> </p><p>Grunts are the only response, due to Link's wounded shoulder, as they jump over the southern gate and ride into the woods.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Guidelines</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Recap: Zelda sets her bow as she shoots down an archer; Zelda reaches into her quiver, searching for any arrows her hand can grasp.</strong><br/><strong>"Oh c'mon! I've run out of arrows!" Zelda shrieks out, frustrated with herself for not retrieving more from the castle before they parted.</strong><br/><strong>Grunts are the only response, due to Link's wounded shoulder, as they jump over the southern gate and ride into the woods. </strong><br/>~~<br/>Light sprinkles of rain enwraps the attention of the partners; causing tears to flow down their appendages, washing away their regrets. A hand tightens around the leather strap as he guides his fellow mount into the forsaken forest. Little, vivid orbs float around the atmosphere, much like stardust capturing the attention of the planets in the solar system. The rain mixes with the bright blood causing the concoction of the two to trickle down Link's arm; staining his oddly popular tunic. Zelda arms tighten around Link's waist as Epona's speed quickens due to the cue given by her master. The light bow is planted firmly between the two bodies as they ride further into the dusk of the night; embracing it with open arms. Although the darkness was oddly beautiful, it was also deadly on many levels; hiding away its dangers behind the bright glow of the moon and stars. A sudden jolt knocks Zelda out of her trance; due to Epona stopping rapidly.</p>
<p><br/>"What's wrong?" Zelda mutters out as her hands slip away from the warmth of Link's body.</p>
<p><br/>Link sticks up his pointer, signaling Zelda to lower her tone down to the bare minimum.</p>
<p><br/>"Shh- I heard something." His eyes dart around the dim forest, searching for anything out of place.</p>
<p><br/>Two luminescent lights glare towards Link and Zelda as a silhouette tackles Epona's reins from Link. The two front legs are demanded off the ground as Epona tussles to knock the intruder off; even though Epona's gesture was meant for another, it still backfired among Zelda and Link causing them to be flown off horseback. A hiss is heard as Link lands roughly on his wounded shoulder, causing the gash to open furthermore, leaving enormous red dots scattered along the ground. The blood stains the bright colored leaves into the crimson of fall; Link's hand grips his shoulder to withstand the bloodshed, even though it hurts him in the process. Zelda's hand grasps the bow as she harshly descends into a darken patch of grass, one in which had mud spread across it; the glob stains her vibrant white dress into shades of brown and green. Link glances lopsided at his trusted partner, watching her freak out at the actions of the hooded figure. The darken silhouette mounts the stallion while the two fairies follow hesitantly behind; struggling with the speed their so called 'friend' is going. Link stands abruptly as he rushes after his pilfer horse; Zelda accompanying nearly in order not to misplace Link. Zelda follows Link's fragile footsteps as they both advance to retrieve what they once had.</p>
<p><br/>"Zelda, c'mon! They're getting away!" Link spewed out as his hand grasped the delicate ones of the princess; their hands filling in each indention on the other's palm, leaving no imperfections to be seen.</p>
<p><br/>A stumble is the only response to the call, as Zelda hurries to catch up with her dear friend. The brightly lit bow is placed tightly in Zelda's opposite hand; it's the only weapon that Zelda's comfortable with, she wouldn't want to lose it. The grass is a soft yellowish green, exhibiting the lack of water it has received recently, it also didn't help that the shade from the trees blocked the only known source of light to the biotic creature. The princess's hatred steadily rises; she despises this calamity that overtook Hyrule, leaving all the beautiful flowers to whither into fallen, dead petals. The 'couple', as Zelda likes to think, sprint off into an entrance with a luminous engaging all the biotic factors around them. The source of tremendous light comes from a carefully lit lantern, suspended from a tree. Link only has a brief second to look beyond the tree as they freely stride into an unfamiliar area; metal spikes shooting up behind them, leaving the only known exit to be blocked. The two's faces pale in comparison to the blinding light, as they realize something horrible was gonna happen.</p>
<p><br/>"Haha! I don't care who you are, that's funny!" A high pitch chuckle closes behind the sentence, as the murky silhouette posed beside the glistening fairies.</p>
<p><br/>"Shit. Where's Epona, kid?" Link murmurs as his hand tightens around Zelda's own hideous one; his thumb caressing around the scars on her palm from past days.</p>
<p><br/>"That horse of yours wasn't much help, so I threw her away. You won't have to suffer the burden of that thing anymore." Skull Kid yawns, un-amused by the conversation. </p>
<p><br/>Link's face shifts to one of frustration and anger.</p>
<p><br/>"Where is the Master Sword? I know you took it from its dwelling spot in the Temple of Time." The sharpness of the swordsman almost knocks Zelda over in surprise.</p>
<p> <br/>"Yes, the sword of evil's bane dwells in these Lost Woods, but where is it located? That's where you two come in. If you complete these trials ahead, I will give you the blade free of charge. " The kid scowls up at the two; with his chin pointed towards the sky in a petty way.</p>
<p><br/>"What's the catch?" Zelda senses were skyrocketing when he mentioned those words, she caught on to it as soon as it left the kid's lips. </p>
<p><br/>Zelda's line engrossed Link, so in response he rose an eyebrow in perplexity. A hesitant giggle slips through the mask's opening as the vivid red eyes scorch into the soul of the two partners.</p>
<p><br/>"Well, if you fail to do so, one of you will be sentenced to death while the other leaves empty handed. But, if you refuse to follow through with your death sentence, both of you will face the same terrible fate as the other. Do I make myself clear?"</p>
<p><br/>~~~</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Preparation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><strong>Recap:  "What's the catch?" Zelda senses were skyrocketing when he mentioned those words, she caught on to it as soon as it left the kid's lips. </strong><br/><strong>Zelda's line engrossed Link, so in response he rose an eyebrow in perplexity. A hesitant giggle slips through the mask's opening as the vivid red eyes scorch into the soul of the two partners.</strong><br/><strong>"Well, if you fail to do so, one of you will be sentenced to death while the other leaves empty handed. But, if you refuse to follow through with your death sentence, both of you will face the same terrible fate as the other. Do I make myself clear?"</strong><br/>~~~<br/>A deadly silence drifted into the atmosphere causing the tension to rise to unsafe levels.  Link's hand twitched towards the blade resting on his back, but he denied the request until further notice. </p><p><br/>"Will we be able to gather supplies before the first trial?" Link murmured, fearing the thought of running out of arrows while fighting a floormaster. </p><p><br/>The hero absolutely hated the feeling of complete darkness tearing into your very soul just to find out your weaknesses; it chilled him down to his very core, causing shivers to run from his heart to all the veins connected to the system. The heart-shaped mask beats in response to the fear emitting from the victims standing mere meters away from its vessel; causing overwhelming amounts of joy to shoot through his entire being. He sure was going to enjoy this. The reborn goddess and her useless hero stand no match against the trials ahead; a smirk of triumph spreading wildly across the mask at that very thought.</p><p><br/>"Of course; if I didn't let you gather supplies then this would just be a trial of slaughter and tears." A rough shaped droplet emerges from the corner of Zelda's eye, acting as a record - one that holds all your emotions in a single sheet of paper.</p><p><br/>The emotion across the mask grows to the very edges, symbolizing the thoughts running through its demonic mind. </p><p><br/>"I can't believe it- why are you doing this to us? What happened to the friendship we had!" Link shrieks as tears of betrayal threaten to burst from the barricade holding them in.</p><p> <br/>An uncomfortable silence of distrust inhabits the conversation, causing any unsaid phrases to remain anonymous.</p><p>Emotionless is the only feeling embracing  the words to be deprived of any guilt or shame. The phrase escapes through the vivid gap, causing a chill to freeze the opening to a complete solid, "Very well, you're dismissed to gather your useless items." </p><p><br/>~ °∆°~</p><p><br/>(Link's pov)</p><p><br/>"I can't believe it. After all I've done for him- he goes and thrusts a blade into my back; leaving me disabled. He does it on purpose just to make me at the end of his mercy of wrath." My hand slips through the gap on the top of the fragile blue pot. </p><p><br/>My fingers graze the insides thoroughly, only for my gloved fingers to latch their selves among a wooden stick. </p><p><br/>"For Hylia's sake! I don't need any Deku Sticks right now!" I grumble out, leaving the contents inside the useless pottery. </p><p><br/>"Calm down, mi amor. We must keep our heads sane." Zelda whispers velvety, placing a sickly pale hand in my own. </p><p><br/>My head lands roughly on her shoulder, a flinch astounds as trickles of blood escape the newly scabbed over wound located on my right shoulder. </p><p><br/>"Zel, you know that I don't know what you just said." I murmur as my thumb caresses her hand and its maze of silk. </p><p><br/>A giggle slips from Zelda as I glance at her in confusion; a smile forming like wild flowers across her beautiful face. </p><p><br/>"What are we going to do?" I question in disbelief, while my eyes take in Zelda's appearance with a heart-warming tenderness. </p><p><br/>"I don't know - I just - don't know." Zelda delivers with a melancholy resonance. </p><p><br/>My fingers intertwine with her silky ones, acting as a composure to her overwhelming emotions. I hope with all my might that we both make it out of this alive. <br/>~~~</p>
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